One Crop, One Fibre, Many Stories

The cotton misinformation problem needs to be seen in the light of today’s society where fake news thrives and wreaks havoc. It’s not difficult to find out how the cotton myths came into being. It’s also not difficult to find out who have been flinging and slinging these falsehoods. Cotton needs to be more assertive, and possibly a bit aggressive too. texfash tries to join some dots.

Cotton is fraught with its own problems (ranging from climate risks and disruptions to trade wars) and polyester comes with its own driving forces (from costs to consumer preference). There are relatively lesser elements that are not deliberated as much in the public domain as they should be. For instance, why are the myths about cotton allowed to flourish? texfash looks at the story behind some numbers crunched out in the public domain.

The Confederation of Indian Textile Industry (CITI) has been spearheading some key collaborative projects in the cotton sector aimed at enhancing productivity, improve farmers’ livelihoods, and promote sustainable farming practices. A texfash report.

Most environmental issues in the cotton industry are being discussed and addressed, but the question remains: is enough being done? Award-winning innovation and sustainability leader, Michela Puddu, touches on a diverse range of subjects, from the cotton production and recycling landscape to its huge and fragmented supply chain, the role of standards & certifications, traceability, impact of global climate change, water challenges, livelihoods and more.

The road to widespread adoption of conflict-free cotton won’t be easy, but it’s a path being paved by a mix of legislative action, corporate responsibility, and consumer demand. While much remains to be done, the progress made so far is promising. Continued collaboration between governments, corporations, and consumers is imperative to ensure conflict-free cotton becomes a reality.